Website Editor Notes: Please link all External Facing Communications Tools Here:
PURPOSE: Provide a hub off all external communications that the SCC has done so the public can be informed:
Recommended External Communications Tools to Update on this page:
Press Release: A clear, concise press release should summarize the incident, the Council’s response, and the life-saving intent of the swim policy. Lead headline should focus on safety actions, e.g., “SCC launches the Seattle Water Safety Initiative to strengthen swimming safety measures and protect students from drowning.”
Fact Sheet: A one-page fact sheet listing: Key policy points and safety protocols, contact info and hotline details, resources for families (translated into SPS six primary languages). Partner with the SPS Multilingual Services to ensure cultural and language accessibility.
Op-ed: Commission op-eds from credible voices (board members of the Seattle PTSA, educators, first responders.
Media Interview: Post links of Seattle Council President Sara Nelson's appearances in the news.
Social Media: Use official SCC channels to: Post key resources and hotline/micro-site links, share dates for press briefings and community listening sessions, respond neutrally to criticism, avoiding personal or argumentative replies. All posts must be available in the top six SPS languages.
Live and community events: School Assemblies: Led by swim policy ambassadors, principals, and safety officers. Distribute multilingual FAQs to all students. Community Listening Sessions: Hosted in community meeting spaces, and with translators and SCC/SPS staff present to answer questions.
8/20/2025 (Example Date of when communication tool was posted)
External Communications Sample:
From: SCC President Sara Nelson
To: Public Media Outlets
Seattle City Council Statement on Recent Swimming Incident and new Water Safety Initiative:
From: SCC President Sara Nelson
To: Public Media Outlets
Seattle City Council Statement on Recent Swimming Incident and new Water Safety Initiative:
For Immediate Release:
As president of the Seattle City Council and chair of our Accountability and Governance committees, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of our Students in Seattle, and ensure parents have the resources needed to support their children.
The City Council recently passed a swimming requirement aimed to prevent unintentional drowning, and recently learned one of our students had an unexpected severe chlorine allergy at a public swimming facility. The student is recovering and our personnel are in direct contact with the family for assistance and support.
On behalf of the Seattle City Council, I wanted to extend my deepest apologies for the harm caused to the student and their family. To the parents, school staff, and city partners, we recognize that the policy rollout needs to be done in a safe and equitable manner, in consideration of the city’s diverse student population and ESL families.
On behalf of the Seattle City Council, I wanted to extend my deepest apologies for the harm caused to the student and their family. To the parents, school staff, and city partners, we recognize that the policy rollout needs to be done in a safe and equitable manner, in consideration of the city’s diverse student population and ESL families.
We hold ourselves accountable to the needs of students, parents, and public school staff. Today we are launching the “Seattle Water Safety Initiative," which will provide updated safety guidance on our websites in multiple languages, and in the following days allow any concerned student, parent, and community partners to voice safety concerns.
The Seattle Water Safety Initiative will allow us to listen to you in the forum of your choice: via a new policy hotline, upcoming ESL small town halls, various community outreach programs and the formation of ambassador groups represented by our own Seattle students. Our website will continue to be updated with the latest FAQs/information, resources and scheduling.
We will continue to collaborate with Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Parks & Recreation, the Seattle Council PTSA, and the CDC Washington, to ensure safe policy rollouts with the goal to save lives from unintentional drowning with safeguards to water exposure.
For questions and to share your feedback with us, please contact:
Seattle Water Safety Initiative Swim Policy Hotline: xxx-xxx-xxxx
SCC: swimpolicy@seattle.gov
SPS: Communications Department via media request form link
SCC: swimpolicy@seattle.gov
SPS: Communications Department via media request form link
Your representative,
Sara Nelson